


Gwendolyn

by choppedmint (forevermint)



Series: The Road Not Taken [7]
Category: The Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:28:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21642199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forevermint/pseuds/choppedmint
Summary: Written for the prompt: Whimsical
Relationships: Theo Goldman/Patience Goldman
Series: The Road Not Taken [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558276





	Gwendolyn

She was about sixteen. Aaron, though he’d begun to have trouble keeping that close of a count, was about one-hundred and thirty-three or maybe thirty-four. He’d lost count at one point in time and had no intention of figuring out again. She lived next door and Aurelia would sometimes hang around her, though she was probably correct in the assumption she only did so because _her_ parents thought it was a good idea. Probably to be a good influence on the budding woman they expected Aurelia to be; Aurelia had no interest. Aaron didn’t really care. 

Her name was Gwendolyn. Her family lived just down the street from the Goldmans. They had for almost a year now, which Aaron found mildly impressive. 

They had to move around a lot. Maybe it was easier when you already looked like an adult, but it was harder when your youngest brood didn’t even grow one inch. He wasn’t one to complain too much, at least not yet. Marginally, he’d accepted this was how things were, and even if they had to move a lot, anything was better than what they had left with Bishop. But either way, he was a bit more willing to attempt to get to know their youngest neighbor. Even if he could never let on to what he was and they’d just be moving on the outset of another year.

But she found him first.

“What are you doing?” she asked, looking over the fence. She could have looked _through_ , for that matter. It wasn’t exactly even.

“I’m removing the weeds from over here,” said Aaron, looking up in confusion. It was perfectly obvious what he was doing. Gwendolyn pointed directly downward. “Then you missed one.” Aaron looked at the patch of ground she was indicating. He hadn’t started weeding there yet. But he moved over and started weeding on that place.

“So,” he asked while he was doing that. “What brings you over here?”

“Mom wanted to know if you wanted to come over for dinner.”

Aaron looked up at her. She had light brown hair, blue eyes, and carefully sculpted features. … He thought he liked her.

“Yeah, sure.”

+++  
Half a year late, it was Aurelia who messed up. Aaron wanted to make that very clear. 

They didn’t go out in the daytime. Aaron hung out in the garden in the late evening, well bundled up, and the close hanging trees took care of the rest.

Usually no one questioned this. If they started to than the Goldman’s moved. It was as simple as that. So far, there had been a few mishaps but nothing serious. Just like this time, really.

Aurelia and Aaron seemed more interesting than the elder generation of grandchildren which were closer to Gwendolyn’s age. Jakob was hanging around regardless of that fact. He didn’t look like he was attending, however. He was watching a bird, a bit cat-like, though he probably didn’t know he was doing it.

They were all under the trees, which in this season cast deep enough shadows that sunset was merely annoying Aaron’s exposed skin. But while Jakob was sitting, Aaron and Aurelia were wondering around, Gwendolyn with them.

They were supposed to be looking for edible things, but Aurelia had taken to tossing pine cones at Aaron. It made Gwendolyn laugh each time he caught one. Aaron had to grin too. Aurelia wasn’t exactly making it hard and anyway, he was a vampire. It was very easy to catch things when you could move faster. But he was very careful not to blur. That’s what he said afterward, He hadn’t blurred and it had been Aurelia’s fault.

He’d turned around for a second, noticing that they weren’t doing what they’d been told to do. The pine cone had hit him in the back of the head with more force than Aurelia had probably intended. It hurt. A lot. So it hadn’t _really_ been his fault when he’d rounded on Aurelia to tell her to cool it. It wasn’t until her own eyes had widened that he realized he’d had his fangs out. He retracted them as quickly as he could, the spike of anger being replaced by cold fear. But he knew Gwendolyn had already seen them from the sharp intake for breath and her heart speeding up. They’d all stiffened, ready to bolt if she made a dash for her house. They’d have to move. A long way away.

She didn’t run, but it looked like she wasn’t able to. Jakob grabbed Aaron’s hand and then they and Aurelia blurred in the other direction. Away.

++

The family argued about it. Theo and Patience and Aaron’s parents and the other adults. Some wanted to wait a little. Marcellus wanted to leave. Aaron doubted anyone blamed him. But Theo wanted to wait and see what would happen. Gwendolyn was very close with all of them, as were her parents.

“I suppose,” said Virgil. “That we can give it a day …”

They started packing anyway. No chances. It was almost the next day and still Theo seemed hesitant. “Unless you want your head lopped off,” said Virgil. “I wouldn’t go over.”

Theo looked distressed at this suggestion. “They wouldn’t do that.” Virgil didn’t look convinced.

Aaron was told to remain in-doors, but he couldn’t help going out to the back and looked through the fence.

Gwendolyn lived close enough that he could see her house through the trees, but not much else. He doubted he’d ever see any of them again. It made his chest feel tight. Sure, he’d known something like this was going to happen, but why couldn’t he have been proven wrong? Why was it all unfair?

He didn’t realize he was crying until someone said something about it. She wasn’t even that close to the fence, but she was standing near the edge of the trees,

“Is that what it looks like when you cry?” she sounded a bit unnerved and Aaron hurried rushed to wipe the stray tears away. He backed up, heading for the door. Gwendolyn remained where she was, and Aaron paused.

“Aren’t you going to run away?” he finally asked. _Hopelessly giving her every excuse are we?_ asked the voice in his head.  
“Should l?” asked Gwendolyn, like it was a serious question.

Aaron hesitated and then shook his head. “Did …” he started, then finished. “Did you tell?” he wouldn’t have blamed her if she did.

Hesitantly, she nodded. Aaron’s shoulders slumped again, expecting her to leave. But she just stayed where she was. It took a long time of her looking at him for him to notice his father was coming out of the house behind him, He walked slowly, and Aaron watched him look warily at Gwendolyn. 

“Gwendolyn,” he greeted, voice even. “Would you be alright if we talked to you?” She took a step back, eyes narrowing, and Aron winced. She looked at the Goldman house and then her own, and then to Aaron. She probably didn’t trust them anymore.  
Finally, she said, “Yes you can. But not in there.” She pointed at the house. Aaron’s father nodded. “That’s alright” He walked toward the fence, leaning on it. “Do you want to talk in your father’s house?” he asked, still very even and kind, Gwendolyn didn’t seem willing to talk, but she replied, “Yes.” 

Aaron’s father was gone all night and they worried. Of course, they did. When he came back, it was almost dawn and he made no secret about blurring. Tense, he and Theo started talking, but Aaron couldn’t hear. And then … they laughed. 

Aaron grinned, relaxing. Theo and his father were talking adamantly now. Something had gone right, though he wasn’t sure if it would end well …

**Author's Note:**

> ORIGIN "Whimsical: Gwendolyn": Fairly whimsical, considering this was the first time the Goldmans started to vary even more from the classic vampire. Since Gwen’s family was the first one which they ‘adopted’. Whether Aaron loved her or not is up to you to figure out.


End file.
